A Change of Fate
by labrat-seph
Summary: CC SPOILERS! Begins at the final battle of said game and will continue from there, flowing with the story of the original game.


A/N: Rated for blood, gore and violence.

Also, this was actually inspired by an art commission of the same name. Link will be posted on my profile for those who wish to view.

Summary: CC SPOILERS! Begins at the final battle of said game and will continue from there, flowing with the story of the original game.

**A Change of Fate:**

Dark clouds had begun to blow in from the east, their shadows casting the desert below into darkness. Those ominous bodies of water seemed to know what exactly was taking place below; the struggle for freedom and life.

The light breeze which brought the celestial bodies blew through the former First Class's raven strands as he continued to stare down his foes. Blood flowed from the man's many open wounds, it beginning to form a puddle at his feet.

Of the hundreds that had first stood against the ex-SOLDIER now only less than ten had remained. The rest of their comrades has fallen victim to the large blade gripped in the hands of the wounded warrior. What was left of those who had fallen lay scattered across the cliff. Faces contorted into looks of agony, fear and surprise rested alongside broken swords, guns and bodies.

Those left alive kept their weapons trained on the target they were ordered to destroy or, if at all possible, capture. Despite the carnage witnessed by them at the hands of their target, the ShinRA MPs could not help but admire his fighting spirit. Still, they had their orders but it was their admiration and awe that kept them from attacking, from delivering the final blow.

Zack, on the other hand, found his body and limbs had become too heavy to move. Were he still at his peak and not so covered with injuries he would finish the grunts without even batting an eye. However, luck or even the Planet was not on his side and he wanted nothing more than to rest.

_'So close,'_ he thought to himself, glancing over his shoulder at the metropolis.

_**'I'll be waiting.'**_

_'Aerith…'_ Zack's eyes fell closed for a brief moment as he recalled those last words the Ancient had spoken to him. A part of him continued to refuse to believe that had been four years ago.

It was the faint sound of foot falls that snapped the ex- First from his memories, fearing the worse. The sight that beheld him surprised him. Truly having expected the cadets to be approaching him, Zack gasped as he watched his friend advance on the other's rear. The raven haired man's gaze fell to the weapon clutched in the blonde's hands.

"Cloud, no!" Zack screamed as realization dawned on him.

It all happened so quickly but Zack saw it in slow motion. Cloud had managed to heave the standard issue blade over his head and cleaved it into his unsuspecting victim, severing his arm. No doubt he would soon die of blood loss. The others turned about due to both Zack's yell and their friend's pained groan.

The nearest to the ex-cadet was the first to recover, slamming the butt of his rifle into the Mako poisoned youth's stomach. Another was able to fire off two rounds into the blonde before being sliced in half, his blood coating both his attacker and fellow grunts. Another two had been dispatched before they had a chance to react to the actions of the former First Class SOLDIER.

"Bastards!" Zack cursed, ridding the planet of yet another ShinRA dog. He had yet to notice just how much his rage had fueled his battle worn body. The adrenaline rush had dulled the pain of the damage he had received, for the moment anyway.

Not without sustaining any more injures, bullets ripping through worn muscles mostly, Fair made quick work of his remaining would be captors.

"Cloud…" he whispered as he fell to his knees, his legs no longer able to sustain the weight. Tears began to well in the sky blue orbs as he gazed at his fallen friend. Guilt coursed through him, feeling a failure for not being able to prevent Cloud's new injuries.

What Zack had failed to notice in his frenzied attacks was the locations in which the blonde had been hit by the two rounds. Both had pierced the right side of the teen's small frame. One had hit the shoulder and the other, it seemed, through his lung.

Slowly and carefully Zack lifted Cloud and placed the dying boy's head into his lap. The blood oozing from the former cadet's wounds joined that of Zack's on his clothing and the sandy dirt below.

"Zack," the younger man tried to say but the sound came out gurgled as the life sustaining liquid filled his mouth.

"Sh… Don't talk, it'll just wear you out," the former SOLDIER ordered through his sobs. Sparing a glance at the bracelet at his wrist, Zack spotted one of his mastered curaga materia. He knew that using such a high level spell in the current condition he was in was nothing short of asking for death. However, it was a sacrifice he was more than ready and willing to make.

"I'll make it go away," he promised through the continued flow of tears and chocked sobs. Cloud, who had been fighting to remain conscious, had already lost the small battle but his body refused to lose the war. This worried Zack, making the man think that it was already too late to save his charge. Relief flooded him as he caught the sound of Cloud's struggle for breath. Wanting to waste no more time than he already had, Zack tapped into the healing magic stored in his materia.

A soft green glow emitted from the elder's hand, washing over the younger. Slowly the magic began to repair the damage inflicted upon Zack's young friend. Minutes seemed to have ticked by before the wounds had fully closed. Zack and Cloud had been fortunate that the bullets had not made themselves at home in the boy's body and had decided to just pass through. Even after the blood had ceased to flow Zack continued to cast the powerful, curative spell. He wanted to make certain that all damage been repaired, internal and external.

Once satisfied with his work, Zack halted his casting of the spell. A smile had formed on his lips as he stared briefly at the slumbering Cloud, pleased to know that his friend would live after all.

"Cloud," Zack began as he slowly lowered his body to the ground to lay beside the youth. "For the both of us…" he panted. At last the heavens opened up, letting their tears fall upon Zack, washing away the bloods of many including his own. "You're gonna… Live…" With each breath he took Zack softly gasped in pain. "You'll be my living legacy; you'll be the proof of my existence…"

Zack could feel the darkness slowly encroaching on him. With what remained of his strength he turned to cast a final glance at Cloud before his eyes slowly fell closed.

"Don't forget, Cloud," he whispered, hoping that at least his friend's subconscious would remember his final words. _'Aerith, I'm sorry we couldn't hang out more… I just wasn't strong enough.'_

The last thing Zack heard before oblivion claimed him was a splash of water. It sounded like three pairs of feet, and they were getting closer.

FFVII: CC ZF

Another A/N: It was not my original intention to include Zack's quotes from the game but his words were so beautiful I could not resist. And, the reason for the short length of this chapter is because I just wanted to set something up for the following chapter and will start to make sense then.

As a final note, I will not update until I have at least two reviews. My mind already knows what is set for the following 2-3 chapters.

-Crescent


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